If you've ever stopped to wonder what exactly is in your container of Palmolive soap, you're not alone. Despite a little known New York State Environmental Conservation Law requiring companies to semi-annually report product ingredients and research, big names in the household cleaning world have been biting their tongues about what they've been putting in our household cleaning products. Now, they're facing a lawsuit from environmentalists for withholding information. To hear additional details about this, read more.

Last September, a coalition of environmental and health activists sent Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and a few other firms a letter informing them of the need to report the chemical ingredients of their cleaning products and their research on their effects, and all but two — Method and Seventh Generation — refused. Now, Earthjustice, a nonprofit public-interest law firm, is filing suit against the companies on behalf of the Sierra Club, the American Lung Association, and other groups.

While some companies provide ingredient lists on their websites, most do not. The two companies that complied have made a name for themselves as purveyors of eco-friendly goods, so it comes as no surprise that they'd oblige. There's really no information to suggest that contents of the other products are harmful, but the withholding of information is suspicious. Would you feel more comfortable if the contents of your household cleaning products were made known to you? Or do you not care?